Latest Nottingham Forest news as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds prepare for a crucial encounter with Luton Town.
Set-pieces remain a major issue for Nottingham Forest as they struggle to maintain their Premier League position.
The Reds are prone to dead-ball situations at one end of the pitch and unable to capitalize on them at the other. Sunday’s 1-0 setback against Brighton and Hove Albion was the latest example of a free-kick goal conceded, with Andrew Omobamidele sending the ball into his own net.
The topic was covered on this week’s episode of NottinghamshireLive’s Garibaldi Red podcast. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team has been warned that relegation opponents Luton Town will be ready to exploit their weaknesses in Saturday’s crucial meeting at Kenilworth Road.
“Earlier this season, it was stated that Nottingham Forest were looking for an identity. Unfortunately, Forest’s current identity is that they are quite vulnerable from set pieces,” remarked Reds fan Dave Astbury. “We know it. Everyone else knows it. When will something be done about it?
“It’s such an obvious Achilles’ heel. I believe Willy Boly’s return could be beneficial. Willy strikes me as a parent figure, a big brother to everyone. He might return and provide some leadership, but we also need someone to make their impact on set-pieces – defending set-pieces might be Willy.
“On the other end, I was going to say it falls on Morgan (Gibbs-White), but I believe Morgan goes and demands that he must do it. Perhaps Morgan feels he owes us the (transfer) price. “I like Morgan’s attitude; he is willing to put his head above the parapet and take them.”
Forest hired their first-ever set-piece coach earlier this season. Simon Rusk, the former England Under-19s head coach, joined the club in December, soon before Steve Cooper was fired as manager and Nuno took over.
“Without seeming like a relic of a bygone period, if you’d asked Brian Clough about set-piece coaches, you’d be laughed out of court. “To me, the set-piece coach has as much influence on the club right now as Harry Arter,” Astbury remarked.
“Why do you need a set-piece coach? Sometimes you can over-coach. If you’re defending a set-piece, pick up your man, stick with him, win your individual battle, and get the job done. Get rid of it.
“Against Liverpool, Taiwo (Awoniyi) and Callum (Hudson-Odoi) both had opportunities to clear the ball. I’m not sure if they know where it is in the stadium, but there is a Row Z they could have found and we might have earned a valuable point against the league leaders. It’s simply plain sense. It’s simple. But Forest can’t seem to accomplish it.
“It is a tremendous failure. Luton are significantly superior to us at set-pieces; they put the ball in the box, and Carlton Morris or Elijah Adebayo get their heads on it. Rob Edwards will remark, ‘Gentlemen, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Nottingham Forest aren’t particularly strong at set pieces, so let’s take advantage of that.’
“We’re going to be bombarded over the weekend, so Willy should come back in for me. I love Andrew Omobamidele and think he’s a fantastic talent, but Willy returns against Luton for me. I peeked around the corners yesterday, and Lewis Dunk towered above everyone. We looked small. We need Willy to come back in.
“I’m probably doing the set-piece coach a disservice; I’m sure he’s doing a good job behind the scenes, but the problem must be addressed.” It needs to be dealt with. Allowing it to continue is almost the definition of lunacy. Something has to be done about this.”
